Pneumatic-despatch apparatus



(No Model.) s 5111Aetssnm1Ql V B. C. BATCHELLBR.

PNBUMATIG nBsPAToH APPARATUS.

No. 585,498. Patented June Z9, 1897.

Inventor:

l vm: Mouans Pneus co.. moro-umu. wnswuoron, u. c.

(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 3. B. G.BATCHBLLER.

PNBUMATIG DESPATGH APPARATUS.

No. 585,498. l Patented June Z9, 1.8977.

Trl: 'mams tiene co. Pnouumo., wAsnmnTuN. u. c.

(No Model.) v 'Smeets-sheet 4. B. C. BATGHELLER. PNEUMATIG DESPATGHAPPARATUS.

No. 585,498. Patented June 29, 1897.

(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 5.

B. oA BATGH'BLLER.

PNEUMATIC DBSPATCH APPARATUS.

No. 585,498.- Patented June 29, 1897.

I Inventor W n/Q35 2S Br/zeg filato/welle? m 25.5/ M'Sfmww m: Dams cransco.. mow-uma. wAsnmcron. u. eA

8 Sheets-Sheet 6.V

(No Model.)

B. C. BATCHBLLBR. NEUMATIC' DESPATCH APPARATUS.

Patnted Jkune 29, 1897.

@EPDM Inventur;

rm; nanars Pneus co4. rhoYoLlTMa, wnnmsou, o. c.

(No Model.) l l 8'S`heets-Sheet 7.

` B. C. BATCHELLER. PNEUMATIC DESPATCH APPARATUS.

Patented June 29, Y1897.

g't/esgeq: o n

onms veren: eo. moraux (No Model.) 8 sheets-'sheet a.

13.0. BATGHBLLBR. PNBUM'ATI D ESPATGH APPARATUS.

No. 585,498. Patented June 29, 1891.

JBZ. @www afmmafwm nu: cams Perma co.. gom-Uma.. wasnmuon, o, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE.,

PN EU IVIATlC-DESPATCH APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of .Letters Patent No. 585,498, dated J' une29, 1897.

Application filed .Tune 13,189.5. Serial No. 552,702. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it weary concern: i

Be it known that I, BIRNEY C. BATcHEL- LER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State ofCalifornia, have invented certain Improvements in Pneumatic-DespatchApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in receiving and despatchingmechanism for use in connection with pneumatic-transit apparatus, one ofthe objects of the invention being to so construct the receivingmechanism that it will automatically receive the carrier, discharge thesam e, and resume its position ready for the reception of anothercarrier, a further object being to so construct the mechanism forintroducing the carrier into the transit-pipe, and which I term thesenden that a certain time must necessarily elapse between the sendingof successive carri-ers, the sender after introducing one carrier intothe pipe being locked against the introduction of another until acertain time after the first carrier has been despatched. y Theseobjects I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side Viewillustrating` receiving and sending mechanism for pneumatictransitapparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a planview of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view looking in the direction of thearrow, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line Fig. l. Fig. 5is a transverse section, on a larger scale, of a valve-chest formingpart of the device. Fig. 6 is a transverse section representing the mainfeatures of the sender. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a transversesection, partly in elevation, and a longitudinal section, partly inelevation, of devices employed in connection with the sendingVmechanism. Figs. 9, 10, ll, and 12 are respectively a plan View, asectional plan View, a side View, and a vertical section of a modifiedform of sending apparatus. Fig. 1-3 is a view showing anothermodification; and Fig. 14 is a sectional View of part of the cylindershown in Fig. 1, illustrating an element of the receiving device notshown in said Fig. l.

I will first describe the receiving mechanism shown in Figs. l, 2, 3,and 4.

1 represents the end portion of a pneumatic-transit pipe having anenlarged section 2', into which the air escapes through suitable slotsprior to passing through the sender 3 and into the pipe 4, communicatingwith the return-line. (See Fig. 6.)

Beyond the section 2 of the pipe l is a receiver 5, consisting of a pipewhich, when in the position shown in Fig. 1, forms a continuation of thepipe 1, the abutting ends forming a comparatively snug lit and the outerend of said receiver 5 communicating with a waste-pipe 6 through aspring-actuated valve similar to a safety-valve, said spring beingadjustable, so as to regulate the amount of cushioning on the advancingcarrier. The pipe 6 discharges through the hollow post or column 7,which has at the upper end a fork provided with bearings 8 for thetrunnions, whereby the receiver 5 is pivoted, so that the latter caneitherassume the position shown by full or dotted lines in Fig. 1,change in position being effected by the piston of a cylinder 9, thispiston being connected by a suit- .able rod to a guided cross-head 10,which in turn is connected by a rod ll to an arm 12, depending from theouter end of the receiver 5.

The pipe 1 communicates, through a small pipe 13, with a chest 14,containing a valve 14a, of such character that when in the positionshown in Fig. 5 it will cause air under pressure to be directed througha pipe 14b to the bottom of the cylinder 9, so` as to force the pistonupward therein, the air above the piston escaping through a pipe 15 andoutletvalve 16, while when the position of the valve is reversed theconditions are likewise reversed, air under pressure being admitted tothe upper end of the cylinder 9, so as to force the piston downwardtherein, and the airbeneath the piston escaping through the pipe 14b andoutlet-valve 17. It Will be evident, therefore, that by simply movingthe valve in the chest 14 the piston in the cylinder 9`can be moved ineither direction, and the receiver 5 therefore caused to assume eitherof the positions shown in Fig. 1.

The admission of air to the bottom of the cylinder 9, so as to cause therise of the pis'- ton therein and the tipping of the receiver 5, is inthe present instance effected by depression of the valve in the chest14, and in the drawings I have shown two different devices for effectingthis purpose, either or both of which can be used, as desired. The firstdevice effects movement of the valve by contact of the advancing carrierwith a finger 18, carried by a rock-shaft 19 and projecting therefrominto the receiver 5, as shown in Fig. 14, the contact of the carrierwith this nger effecting the raising of the latter and the rocking ofthe shaft 19, which has an arm 2O connected by a rod 21 to a lever 22,the other arm of which is connected to the stem of the valve 14, asshown in Fig. 1.

The second method of operating the valve in the chest 14 is by pneumaticmeans, the stem of the valve 141L being connected to a plunger in acylinder 23, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the upper end of saidcylinder being in communication through pipes 24 and 25 with the outerend of the receiver 5, so that the air compressed within said receiverin advance of the carrier entering the same is caused to act uponl theplunger in the cylinder 23, and thus depress the valve in the chest 14.Both of these means of operating the valve in the chest 14 may beadopted in the same apparatus, if desired. Hence both of them areillustrated. in Fig. 1.

The pipes 24 and 25 communicate with each other through a pipe 25a,which passes through one of the trunnions of the receiver 5 and is freeto turn around the end of the pipe 24, so that the receiver can beraised or lowered without disturbing the connection between the pipes 24and 25.

When the receiver is tilted to the position shown by dotted lines inFig. 1, the carrier is free to drop from the same onto a pivotedplatform 26, the end of the pipe 1 being closed by a segmentalstop-plate 27, carried by the forward end of the receiver.

The platform 26 is pivoted at 23 and has a counterbalance-weight 29,which normally tends to maintain the platform in the upwardly-inclinedposition shown by full lines in Fig. 1, but when the carrier isdeposited on the platform the preponderance of weight is shifted to theopposite side of the pivotal axis of the platform, and the latterdescends to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the carrierrolling from the platform onto a fixed table 30, owing to the slightlateral inclination of the platform 26, as shown in Fig. 4.

rlhe platform 26 is connected by a rod 31 to an arm 32 on a rock-shaft33, which has another arm 32, connected by a rod 34 to a lever 35, whichis adapted to act upon the lower end of the stem or spindle of the valve14, contained in the chest 14. l/Vhen therefore the platform 2Gdescends, such movement of the lever 35 is caused as will effecta liftof the valve in said chest 14, thus causing a descent of the piston inthe cylinder 9 and restoring the receiver 25 to its normal position, theplatform 26 again rising under the action of its counter-balance-weightas soon as the carrier has rolled from the same.

Having thus described the essential features of the receiver, I will nowdescribe that portion of my invention which relates to the sendingdevice.

The invention has no special reference to the construction of the sender3 itself, as to which it will be sufficient to state in connection withFig. G that it consists simply of a cylindrical chamber contained withinthe casing 3 and having therein a valve 36 with trans- 'verse openingfor the reception of the car- .rier, this valve having a central shaft40, whereby it may be turned so that its passage is at right angles tothe pipe 4 and is then adapted for receiving the carrier through theopening 37, the air from the pipe 1 meantime passing around the sides ofthe valve, owing to the greater width of the casing 3.

The valve is susceptible of movement to the extent of a quarter of aturn, so as to bring its opening into line with the pipe 4 to permit thecarrier to enter the same.

The mechanism employed by me in connection with the sender is intendedto introduce a certain time element into the operation of saidsender-that is t'o say, the lapse of a certain amount of time betweenthe introduction of successive carriers into the transit-pipe.

On reference to Figs. 7 and 8 it will be observed that the shaft 40 ofthe sender-valve 36 has an arm 41, whereby the valve is turned, and onsaid shaft are two other arms 42 and 43. rlhe arm 42 is connected by alink 44 to a sliding cross-head 45, which carries a springactuatedtrigger 46, adapted to engage with a nut 47 at the upper end of a rod48, which carries a plunger 49, adapted to a cylinder 50, communicationbetween the upper and lower ends of the latter being established bymeans of pipes 51 52 and a valve 53.

The plunger 49 has a valve 49 opening IOO IIO

downwardly, and the cylinder 50, as well as the pipes 51 and 52, isintended to be filledA with liquid, which will offer very littleresistance to the rise of the plunger 49, as the liquid is free to passthrough the same from one end of the cylinder to the other, owing to theopening of the valve 49a. When any attempt is made to depress theplunger, however, this valve instantly closes, and the liquid can thenbe forced from the lower to the upper end of the cylinder only throughthe pipe 51 52 and valve 53,A and the latter can be adjusted so as toprovide for as free or restricted a fiow as desired. Thile a quick liftof the plunger is thus provided for, its descent can be redraw it fromengagement with the arm 43. (See Fig. 8.) p

The parts are in the position shown in Fig. 7 when the opening ofthesender-valve is at right angles to the transit-pipe 4 and is adaptedfor the reception of the carrier.

When the valve is turned so as to bring its opening into line with thetransit-pipe 4, the cross-head is lifted, carrying with it the rod 4Sand plunger 49 until the trigger 46 is struck and tripped by a set-screw58, whereupon the said rod 48 is released and is permitted to descendunder the iniiuence of weights 59 or a spring or equivalent depressingdevice. If now the valve is restored to its former position to receive afresh carrier, the arm 43 will be engaged by the spring-retainer 54, sothat the valve cannot be again turned into line with the transit-pipe 4until said retainer is withdrawn from engagement with the arm 43, whichwill not take place until the plunger 49 has reached the limit of itsdescent, and the time occupied in this descent can be regulated asdesired by the adjustment of the valve 43. By this means carriers cannotbe transmitted in such rapid succession as to interfere with each otherin transit or overtax the capacity of the receiver at the other end ofthe line, the latter necessarily requiring a certain amount of time inits operation.

Various forms of sender involving this time element can be constructedin accordance with my invention. For instance, in Figs. 9 to l2 I haveshown a transmitter consisting of a tube 60, constituting a straightcontinuation of the transmitter-pipe 6l, which receives the air througha branch 62 and slotted casi ing 63.

Communication between the pipe 6l and y the tube 60 is normally closedby a valve working in a chamber 64, this valve being carried by arock-shaft 65, having an arm 66, which when moved to the position shownin Fig. 9, so as to close the valve, is held by a spring-bolt 67,chambered for the reception of a headed rod 68, carried by the upper endof a plunger-rod 69, the plunger being adapted to a cylinder and beingfree to rise therein, but having its descent restricted by a valvedby-pass of any appropriate character, the descent of the plunger beingcaused by a weight or spring suitably applied, as shown, for instance,by dotted lines in Fig. l2.

The plunger-rod 69 has a chain 7l running over a pulley 72 and connectedto a drum '73, which can be clutched to the rock-shaft 65 by means of aspring-tri gger 7 4, hung to the drum 73 and engaging with a tootheddisk 7 5, keyed on the rock-shaft 65, said spring-trigger carrying aset-screw 76, which by Contact with a fixed stop 77 on the tube 60causes the tripping of the trigger 74 and the release of the drum 73, soas to permit ofthe unwinding of the chain 7l as the plunger slowlydescends in the cylinder 70 under the influence of its spring or weight,the descent being limited ing of the valve until the plunger hascompleted its descent in the cylinder 70 and the spring-bolt 67 is againretracted.

At the top of the tube 60 is another chamber for the reception of avalve which is carried by a rock-shaft 8l, having an arm 82, with rib.83, and when the top valve is closed this rib is in line with a notch84 in the under side of the arm 66 and is concentric with the axis ofthe rock-shaft 65. Hence said arm 82 must be moved to this position, soas to close the upper valve before the arm 66 can be moved to open thelower valve. In transmitting a carrier, therefore, the arm S2 is firstdrawn back, so as to open the upper valve and permit of the insertion ofa carrier into the tube 60, said carrier resting upon the lower valve,which is closed, and is locked in position, owing to the fact that therib 83 of the arm 82 is out of line with the notch 84 of the arm 66. Thearm S2 is then adj usted to the position shown in Fig. 9, so as to closethe upper valve, and the arm 66 is then moved forward, so as to open thelower valve and permit the carrier to pass into the transitpipe. Beforethe upper valve can be again opened the arm 66 must be again withdrawnto the position shown in Fig. 9, so as to close the lower valve, andsaid arm 66 is locked in this position until released by the retractionof the bolt 67.

The arm 82 alone might be used, if desired, to insure the fullretraction of the arm 66, but it is preferable also to use the uppervalve in connection with the same.

The vertical form of sender shown in Figs. 9 to l2 is the preferred one,as it provides for the descent of the carrier into the transitpipe bygravity from a straight continuation of said pipe.

In order to facilitate the descent of the carrier, l provide foradmitting air to the space above the same, the means employed for thispurpose being a by-pass 85, formed on the side of the tube 60 andextending from the lower-valve chamber 64 to the upper-valve chamber 80.When the lower valve is closed, it closes the lower end of this by-passand prevents the iiow of air into the same, but when the lower valvebegins to open it opens the by-pass and permits air to gain access tothe upper-valve chamber and thence beneath the upper valve to the tube60, above the carrier, so that when the lower valve is opened thepressure above the carrier is equal to that below it and said carriercan freely descend IIO into the pipe 61. The admission of pressure tothe tube 60 also tends to balance thelowcr valve andl renders themovement of the same easier than it would otherwise be.

It is advisable to prevent theintrodu'ction of a carrier into thetransit-pipe 61 when nov current of air is maintained therein, and forthis reason I provide on the under side of the projecting casing of thevalve-chamber 64 a cylinder 86, containing a piston 87, which is securedto or forms part of a bolt'88, adapted to project into the valve-chamber64 and lock the lower valve when the same is closed, springs 89 actingon the piston 87 to thus project the bolt. air is maintained in thepipe- 61 and hence in the valve-chamber 64, the air gains access to thecylinder 86, above the piston 87, either around the bol-t 88 or througha special opening 90, Fig. 9, and thus depresses the piston against theaction of the springs 89, so as to withdraw the bolt 88 and unlock thevalve.

Various other devices calculated to embody the time element in theoperation of the transmitter m-ay be devised within the scope of m-yinvention, although some form of liquid-escapement device such as I havedescribed ispreferred. In Fig. 13- I have illustrated a modification inwhich a rod 48a, instead of carrying apiston adapted to a cylinder asdoes the rod 4S, is provided with a rack which meshes with a pinion 91,loose on a shaft 92 and having a spring-pawl 93, which engages with aratchet-Wheel 94, fast on said shaft 92. Also fast on the shaft 92 is aspur-wheel 95, which meshes with a pinion 96 on a shaft 97, and on thelatter shaft is also an escapementwheel 98, engaging with a vibratingescapement-lever 99. therefore, itturns the wheel 91 on the shaft 92, sothat the pawl 93 slips on the ratchetwheel 94, but on the descent of therod 4tL the pawl engages with the ratchet-wheel and turns the wheel 91and shaft 92, so that the speed of descent of the rod 48 is regulated bythe operation of said escapement-wheel 98 and its lever 99.

IIaving thus described my invention, I claim andV desire to secure by'Letters Patent- 1. The combination of a pneumatic-transit pipe, with apivoted receiver, a cylinder havj ing a piston connected to saidreceiver so as tov tilt the same by its movement, a valve adapted todirect motive fluid into said cylinder to cause movement of the pistontherein',

and means whereby the carrier in its forward movement in the receiver iscaused to actuate said valve so as to effect the tilting of thereceiver, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a pneumatic-transit pipe, with a pivoted receiver,a cylinder having a piston connected to said receiver so as to) tilt thesame by its movement, a valve adapted to direct motive fluid into saidcylinder to cause movement of the piston therein, a pivoted platformadapted to receive the When, however, pressure of i When the rod 491L islifted", i

carrier from the tilted receiver, and means whereby the movement of saidplatform is caused to operate the valve so as to effect the restorationof the receiver to its normal position, substantially as specified. g

3. The combination of the transit-pipe, the pivoted receiver, thecylinder having a piston connected to said receiver and serving to tiltthe same, a valve for directing motive fluid to said cylinder, apneumatic operating device for said valve, and pipes connecting saiddevice to the receiver, one of saidY pipes passl ing through thetrunnion of the receiver, subf stantially as specified.

with the pivoted and laterally-inclined pla-tform, and a stationaryreceiving-platform onto which the carrier can roll from the pivotedplatform, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of a pneumatic-transit pipe, with a senderconstructed for the reception of the carrier when its parts are in oneposition and for the discharge of said carrier when its parts are inanother position, and means for manually adjusting the parts of saidsender from one position to the other and a locking device for thesender, and an escapement device whereby the sender is held in a lockedposition fora predetermined time, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the sender employed in connection with apneumatic-transit device, with means for locking the sender, and anescapement device for opening the lock, said escapement devicecomprising a liquidcylinder with plunger therein, and a restrictedpassage from one end of the cylinder to the other, substantially asspecified.

7. The combination of the sender employed in connection with apneumatic-transit apparatus, with a lock for said sender, and an escapement device for opening-said lock, said escapement device comprising acylinder having a plunger and restricted passage from one end to theother, means whereby the plungerrod is ,caused to release the lock, atrigger' j through the medium of which the plunger is moved in onedirection, and means for tripl ping said trigger so as to release theplunger. 8. The combination of the sender employed in connection withpneumatic-transit apparatus, an arm for opening the sender, a lockingdevice for said arm, an escapement for opening said lock after apredetermined interval, and a second arm serving when in one position tolock the first arm and permit the introduction of a carrier into thesender, and when in the other position, to release saidV arm and preventthe introduction of a carrier, substantially as specified.

9. The combination of the sender with two l arms, one governing theadmission of a carrier into the sender, and the other govern-ing lthedischarge of the carrier therefrom, said jarms being constructed tointerlock.

10. The combination with the transit-pipe,

lof the sender comprising a vertical continua- 4. The combination of thetilting receiver IOO IIO

tion of the transit-pipe, L branch pipe eom-` In testimony whereof Ihave signed my munioating with the transit-pipe through a name to thisspecication in the presence of slotted Casing at the base of the sender,a two subscribing witnesses.

valve interposed between said slotted casing VBIltbUlY C. BATCHELLER. 5and the Continuation of the transit-pipe, and Vitnesses:

a Valve for closing the mouth of the latter, C. H. PHILLIPS,

substantially as speeied. C. E. GREGORY.

